Urban Promiscuity

Urban Promiscuity is a re-thinking of the relation between urban fabric and infrastructure. It proposes an alternative to the current situation in which infrastructure is being misunderstood as a limit, not only physically but also in social and political terms.

The territorial plan of 2010 and several political promises proposed the burying of the infrastructure as the solution, as if hiding the problem would solve it. The 70 km railway and the 8 km C-31 highway. However, it has been proven that the economical and ecological impact that this solution would cause is not viable. Currently a clear alternative does not exist.\nIn one of those intersections between the C-31 and the existing fabric, we find St. Roc: a working class block housing district of 16 hectares built in the early 60’s responding to rural exodus. It was constructed at the same time as the C-31 highway and that is why its urban structure responds to the imposition of the infrastructure. It completely ignores the existing fabric of Badalona. The result: one of the most conflictive areas in the suburbs with a high percentage of social exclusion. In spite of it, because of its location and connectivity it has a big potential to become a new strategical center in the metropolitan area of Barcelona.\nIt is a fact that when public transports are well integrated in cities people use them more. Instead of burying the infrastructure, my proposal seeks less aggressive solutions like maintaining the railway along the seaside and looking for unique projects: elevated pathways, elevating the railway or underground pedestrian connections. As for Badalona, I propose recycling the existing highway and merging the coast railway with the C-31. In this scenario, St. Roc becomes a new community district that coexists with the infrastructure, looks for the continuity of the existing fabric and redefines its identity.\nI strongly believe in an architecture that coexists with the railways and the roads. That is why the main character of the master plan is a mixed use building with a intermodal station. The cars find their places in the suburbs and the people enjoy quality public transport and spaces. Those interventions would gradually recover the now lost sea-mountain relation, allowing the continuity of the historical streets and returning the coast to Badalona.